Collapsible rank for clothes or the like.



H. M. McCULLOUGH. GOLLAPSIBLE RAGK FOR- GLOTHESOR THE LIKE.

PatentedvDec. 29,' 1908.

APPLIOATIOR FILED MAR. 9, 1908.

ms: Nukms FETER5 cm. wasmncro". n. 4:.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. MCOUIJLOUGH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID PARNSON,

. OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1 J08.

Application filed. March 9, 1908. Serial No. 420,070.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. MoCUL- LOUGH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of New York city, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Racks for Clothes or the Like, which improvement is fullyset forth in the following specification.

My invention is an apparatus intended primarily for hanging out clothes for ironing or to dry, although it may be used forother similar purposes.

Broadly the invention consists of the combination, as hereinafter described, of two bearings adapted to be spaced apart on a suitable support, as beneath a mantel shelf or the like; a cable passing back and forth between these supports so as to be arranged in a plurality of loops or sections whose ends are supported by the bearings; and a collapsible arm (preferably compound or in two parts) ada ted to be folded or otherwise moved bac out of the way, and serving when drawn forward to tauten the said cable sections or loops and hold them apart, for receiving the clothing to be hung out.

The invention consists further in certain details of construction and arrangement to be hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings that illustrate a preferred embodiment.

In these draWingsFigure 1 is a perspective, from below, showing the apparatus in position for use; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan, showing the apparatus partly closed; and Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the apparatus completely closed.

A represents a'shelf or mantel over the stove, or in other convenient location, where it is desired to hang out articles of the wash (or to hang out any articles).

B is a rod or arm pivoted beneath shelf A, at b, so as to swing in a horizontal plane; the rear of the arm preferably extending a considerable distance beyond pivot b so as to bear upward against the under side of shelf A and keep the arm from droppin down. C is another rod or arm pivoted in li e manner to the outer end of arm B, at c,the two rods B and C constituting the two membersof the collapsible arm referred to. D and E are eye-screws or eye-bolts made fast beneath shelf A, near the ends thereof, and

shown as nearer the front of the shelf than the pivot 11 (see Fig. 3). These two eyescrews constitute the two bearings referred to. In the arrangement illustrated in the drawings, one eye (as D) carries three secondary rings D D D while the other eye, E, has two rings, E and E. F represents eye-screws secured in the lower side of the outer member C, being shown in the present instance as four in number; each eye F carries a secondary ring f, f f This arm B-C supports and tautens the several cable-loops or sections above referred to. This cable is indicated by G, being a cablelaid twine or other flexible cord assing backwards and forwards between t e two bearings to provide a plurality of loops or sections, whose respective ends are supported by bearings D and E respectively, by means of their secondary rings D E etc.; while the arm BC supports the middle of these cable-sections, by means of its secondary rings f etc.

The cable G'is shown as threaded as follows: One end is seouredto thefixed bearing D (being made fast in the ring D thence the cable passes through the outer ring f of arm C, and through ring E of bearing E, to form one cable-section or loop; from ring E the cable passes back through ring f thence through ring D ,to form a second section; then from ring D the cable passes back through ring f and through ring E to form a third section; and finally the cable passes back through ring f and to ring D where it is made fast, formin the fourth section. Of course, there mig t be fewer or more sections, in which case there would be fewer or more secondary rings in the fixed bearings D and E and u on arm C.

In Fig. 1, the arm B- has been extended to tauten and separate the cable-sections; this position is also indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 2. In order to close up or collapse the apparatus, the outer member C is swung around its pivot c (as indicated by arrows) into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2, and also indicated by dotted lines, in Fig. 3; and finally the folded arms BC are then swung around the pivot b (as indicated by arrows in Fig. 3), into the position shown by full lines in Fig. 3.

At A is indicated, partly in broken lines, a curtain or the like attached to the mantel shelf, and adapted to conceal the apparatus from view when the arm BC is folded back out of the way. The parts are preferably so arranged (pivot 5 being back of the line connecting D and E) that not only are the cablesections tautened when the arm is extended (as in Fig. 1) but their slack is taken up when the arm is moved back out of the way (as in Fig. 3), so as to prevent any entanglement or snarling of the loops, while the curtain A will then conceal the apparatus from view.

The various sections of the cable G act as guy-ropes, in tending to support the extended arm, so that if the rear end of the inner member B should be made to rest upon and abut against a shoulder, these guy-ropes would permit the pivot b to be dispensed with; though I prefer to have a positive pivot-pin.

Among the notable features of this apparatus are its great efficiency in the amount of cable length available for hanging out clothes,

.while at the same time the entire apparatus can be moved back compactly out of the way and out of sight, the various cable-sections adjusting themselves through the rings to permit this folding; and the fact that the entire apparatus to be provided for family use comprises only the two simple members B and C, with a cable G, and the suitable bearings therefor, and if desired the secondary rings D, E, f etc. These latter may be dispensed with, but I obtain better results from their use. Instead of the compound arm B-O constructed and arranged as shown, some other form of arm might be provided to move back out of the way and serve when extended to distend the cable-loops. Again, instead of a continuous cable running back and forth between the fixed bearings D and E, there might be a number of separate lengths of cable. Other changes may be made in construction and arrangement, and in details, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A clothes-rack comprising two bearings adapted to be fixedly spaced apart upon a suitable support, a cable having a plurality of sections whose respective ends are held by the bearings aforesaid, and a collapsible member sustaining the middles of said sec tions and adapted when opened to hold said sections apart.

2. A clothes-rack consisting of the combination of two arms connected by a verticalpivot and mounted on a suitable support by a vertical pivot so as to open and close in a horizontal plane, two eye-bolts mounted apart upon said support in substantially the horizontal plane of said arm, a plurality of eye-bolts carried by the outer member of the two arms aforesaid, a ring carried by each one of said eye-bolts, and a continuous cable supported by said rings.

3. A collapsible rack comprising two bearings adapted to be fixedly spaced apart upon a suitable support, a cable arranged in a plurality of cable-sections whose respective ends are supported by the bearings aforesaid, and a movable arm serving when in extended position to hold said sections apart and when moved back out of the way serving to take up the slack of said section-loops.

4.- A collapsible rack comprising two fixed. bearings spaced apart upon a suitable support, a cable passing bacluvard and forward between said bearings to provide a plurality of sections or loops, and. an arm mounted to swing in the same horizontal plane as said bearings and supporting the middle portions of said loops.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY M. l\'l:oCULLOUGl l.

l/Vitnesses:

C. A. L. MAssnc, RALPH L. SooTT. 

